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Facts and Figures #32 : Monitoring Community Activities In Phnom Penh

June 22, 2017,

Phnom Penh is a rapidly growing city in Cambodia that has seen a massive surge in investment in recent years.1 With a current estimated population of 2.2 million in Phnom Penh,2 and forecast average annual increase of 2.2% between 2017 and 2025,3 infrastructural, housing, and retail development have become a focal point for Cambodia’s capital city.

Development can bring a wealth of benefits to a city and its people, including greater employment opportunities in both old and new sectors, increased productivity, innovation, improved education and healthcare, and larger incomes. However, development – such as that witnessed in Phnom Penh – often encroaches on, or completely builds on top of, current residential areas.4 Especially in the short to medium term, Phnom Penh’s urban poor often suffer from development where they lack the security of land titles, and the chances of receiving sufficient compensation in the face of eviction are negligible.